75 years for video taping police?

By Wilson
Updated 09/02/2011 | 1:38 PM EST

Seriously?

A citizen who videotaped on duty police – on his own private property (and later at court) is facing up to 75 years behind bars. This sparked a heated debate on radio today as Glenn believes you should have the right to tape police, but Stu isn’t so sure.

“75 years behind bars, a prison sentence that long is rarely handed down and it’s usually just for murderers or rapists, but a local man faces 75 years in prison for a nonviolent crime. What he’s accused of doing is something many people have done but most don’t realize it’s actually illegal. What you’re witnessing is now against the law in some states. This is also becoming illegal,” a reporter said.

“75 years, that’s dangerous. I think that’s really dangerous. If you can’t as a citizen film police without their permission – I think that’s dangerous,” Pat said.

“ The first time he did it, he filmed the police on his property and they said you can’t do it. Then he went in and apparently with the judge’s understanding, he was taping proceedings and he told the judge, I’m recording this. As soon as he left the room, they arrested him and they used an old law of wire tapping and eavesdropping and they’re now – they’re – they filed this 75 years. You don’t get 75 years for murder in this country,” Glenn said.

“I am a police supporter. I want to help the police in every way that I can,” Glenn explained.

“The police have to have protections. I mean, I’m looking at this particular case, however. This is not a new law. It’s a law that’s been on the books for a long time in Illinois and it’s about eavesdropping. So, like, I’m recording you at a table at a restaurant and I’m doing it without your consent, it’s against the law and they’re saying that that applies, also, to police, that you can’t just start recording them. It’s just a – it’s sort of a new application because people are taping so much,” Stu argued.

“You cannot give the police a right that you yourself do not have. We have a right to record. We have a right to be able to show the truth. If we’re going to be accused of something, I have a right to make sure that I document the evidence. They don’t have a right to take away my self-defense. I have a right to self-defense,” Glenn countered.

“Who’s going to believe you over a police officer? I’m sorry, but the badge still bears an awful lot of weight, as it should,” Glenn added.